<p>Had an admissions head tell a room full of prospects and parents the other day. “I’ve read essays that tell the stories of kids that trained at the foot of Mother Theresa. Apparently they’ve done more by age 17 than any philanthropist, and do-gooder known to man.” Basically she said “just stop it”. On your essay…“don’t fill it full of BS that no one will believe” Or if you actually did all that stuff, why are you going to college. Her admonishment was to write about what you WANT to do. To write about your activities, but where are they leading you. How can we (the school) help you to get there.</p>
<p>Best admissions lecture I’ve ever heard. Love stopping all of the B.S. in its tracks!</p>
<p>Some kids lie their way through high school because the essay prompts are so specific and personal that they prefer to make something up. They get into a habit of cheating, essentially. And, nobody questions them about it. </p>
<p>Here’s the thing. If you have challenges in your life, don’t be shy about writing about them. Some kids with challenges or who have excelled are too quiet about those things. But, if you landed in the gravy, don’t try to juice it up for college admissions. Rather, show yourself to be hardworking, grateful, humble, eager to give back, innovative, and so on. Talk about wondering how you can meet your parents’ expectations until you realized that they only want you to be your best you, and then tell what your best you has been and will be. Be genuine.</p>
<p>“If you have challenges in your life, don’t be shy about writing about them”</p>
<p>What if you have challenges that you want colleges to know about but you don’t want to make them the subject of your Common App essay? Is there another way to include this?</p>
<p>There is space for a supplemental essay, in which you can discuss anything that you feel colleges should know about but isn’t otherwise covered in your application.</p>